Primary carry: SP101 or Glock 26?

[goalie]

I have a .357 3" SP101 in my truck all the time, but, if I am going to carry on my belt, I carry my G26. It is lighter, easier to shoot fast past 10 yards and still make hits, holds twice as much ammo, is just as reliable, and is much, much faster to reload.

 

[Srigs]

The one you shoot better and trust the most!

 

[Dollar An Hour]

sights, trigger, blast/flash & fatigue...

The SP101 is significantly heavier, just as wide (cylinder), harder to shoot accurately (trigger/sights) and harder to find decent leather for.

But most importantly, the 25 oz. SP101, with .357 ammo and stock grips, is the most painful firearm I have ever shot (I haven't shot one of the S&W 12-15 oz. .357s). The vast majority of people will not be able to fire it rapidly with adequate accuracy, as is likely to be required in a self defense situation.

This poll is closer than I thought it'd be.

The trigger and sights are in the Glock's favor, since the SP comes with fixed sights and what feels like a 20# trigger. I could spend about $100 on a good action job for the SP though. The SP is about $75 less to begin with.

Capacity aside, I know the G26 will be easier to shoot accurately and quickly since I'm not having to get back on target after .357 recoil.

Also seems like the Glock should have less muzzle blast/flash than the revolver. Pretty good chance of an SD shooting being in low-light, maybe even indoors where blast & flash really matter.

I was also thinking about practice ammo. Since I've got a .38 snubby, I'd want the SP for the ability to carry .357s. But .357s other than WWB are pretty expensive. Maybe 9mm would allow more practice time, between ammo cost and shooter fatigue with the SP?

Thanks for the responses!

 

[Cosmoline]

I could spend about $100 on a good action job for the SP though.

$100 for an action job? Where do you guys come up with this stuff? A Wilson Combat spring kit with a variety of weights costs about $10 from Midway and takes half an hour or less to install.

I've heard a lot of complaints about all the myths about cruddy Glocks. But so far on this thread I've seen a lot more ignorance about the SP and wheelguns in general. The recoil is impossible, you can't get back on target as quickly, it costs $100 to do an action job, it's too heavy, etc. etc.

All that's missing is some bright boy to come on and explain how the SP will go out of time if you drop it!

 

[RyanM]

You should just go with whatever you have more confidence in. FWIW, my 2.25" SP-101 and Glock 23 are basically the exact same size from butt to muzzle. SP-101 weighs more empty, but Glock weighs more loaded. Thickness is about the same; SP-101 is wider at the cylinder but thinner everywhere else. Recoil with either is no problem. With fullhouse 158 gr .357 magnum loads, I can keep all 5 on a pie plate at 7 yards, rapid fire. Also the triggers are identical, 8 pounds DA. Put in lighter Wolff springs in the Ruger, and a Wolff increased power striker spring, 3.5# Glock connector, and NY-1 trigger spring without the spring in the Glock.

 

[10-Ring]

As these guns go, I prefer the snubbies

 

[cookekdjr]

For two-legged predators, I prefer the g26 for round-capacity.
If I'm likely to see 4-legged threats as well, I'd choose the sp101 for added power.
You cannot go wrong with either choice. They are both excellent guns.
BTW, I've fired the sp101, and the recoil is MUCH lighter than any snubbie I've ever shot. I was using .357 rounds, but cannot remember the exact loading. They weren't reduced power rounds, though.
-David

 

[kennyboy]

Revolvers are outdated for self-defense carry when compared to an auto.

 

[DPB]

I'm not trying to start the urinary olympics, but I haven't heard many objective arguments in favor of the SP101.

Perhaps I don't score as high as some of you on the man-meter, or possilby I haven't been properly schooled in the art of the ninja revolver, we can compare training resumes and whatnot at some other time. The following points still stand, and I haven't heard anyone convincingly refute them.

Recoil management with full power loads is significantly more difficult with the .357 than with the 9mm. It is significantly harder to find decent leather for an SP101 than for a Glock 26. For most people, it will be more difficult to learn to manipulate the stock revolver trigger than the stock Glock trigger (which is 4-5#, not 8#). And I still think that the recoil of the SP101 is greater than most people will be willing to put up with for any kind of training time.

Changing the grips on the revolver may reduce the felt recoil, but it also reduces concealability. I got a Hogue grip for mine too. It makes the package bigger. In my statement about the recoil, I specified "stock grips," which are smaller and more concealable than the Hogues.

There are some additional points to consider. 9mm ammo can be had for $5-$7 per box. The least expensive .357 I've seen recently is $16+. You will be able to afford more training with the 9mm. The revolver is much more complex to reload, and the quickest reload device (speedloader) is more awkward to carry than a spare auto magazine. Also, worthwhile accessories, like night sights, are readily available for the Glock, not so with the SP101.

I haven't even touched the fact that the auto holds 11 while the revolver holds 5.

Also, a $10 spring kit does not equal a real trigger job by a real smith. Sorry, no.

I agree with the fact that an SP101 is nearly indestructible. That's why it weighs 10 oz. more than S&W snubbies. Which also explains why it recoils less than those guns with equivalent loads.

"Yo'ure just weak," "You don't know how to shoot a revolver," and "I like revolvers," are not objective arguments.

doug

 

[medic_guns]

I agree with the above poster. Revolvers are outdated for primary carry. I would much rather carry something that has 11 in it with a 17 round mag for backup, or even the G18, in some situations. Many bad guys are toting autos now, and they run in packs, it seems. I used to carry my 342 everywhere, but I have switched to my g19 at all times. If I have to pull it and get busy, I want to make sure I can end the battle. I can shoot the G19 very well while pulling the trigger almost as fast as I possibly can. Sounds almost like a machine pistol. Yeah, thats it. A really coooool machine pistol (automatic finger only)

 

[Cosmoline]

Some of you guys are watching WAAAAY too many movies

Selecting your CCW weapon based on which sounds the most like a cool machine pistol from "Underworld" is just going to end in tears. My tears, specifically. From laughing so hard

Again, try as many out as possible and use the one that works best for you. Don't select based on all the lame myths about wheelguns being "outdated" or Glocks melting in the sun.

The least expensive .357 I've seen recently is $16+.

Hmm. Well even up here in the land of VERY expensive ammunition I can get Fiochi for $10 a box and .38's come even cheaper.

Also, worthwhile accessories, like night sights, are readily available for the Glock, not so with the SP101.

Not true at all. I have tritium on my SP and there are several options to choose from. You guys should cruise Midway a bit before issuing pronouncements about $100 trigger jobs and the impossibility of finding night sights for an SP or other wheelguns.

Also, a $10 spring kit does not equal a real trigger job by a real smith.

It's not exactly rocket science. You pop the new springs in and you're good to go. You COULD get an action job to smooth the trigger out further, but the great thing about Rugers is that happens naturally over time anyway, free of charge as they smooth out with wear. And with or without new springs or an action job, the SP's trigger is still a darn sight better than the Glock's, or most any semi this side of a 1911.

Recoil management with full power loads is significantly more difficult with the .357 than with the 9mm. It is significantly harder to find decent leather for an SP101 than for a Glock 26.

Recoil management is not more difficult with the SP. You need to learn to shoot your firearm, whether it's a semi or a revolver. Once you learn how to shoot the SP and select the best stocks for your hands you should not have problems with the recoil. If you do, you can just load with .38+p's like the excelleint LSWCHP's. That's the great thing about wheelguns--they're incredibly versatile.

I also wonder where you get this nonsense about "decent leather" being harder to find for the SP. Galco and all the other major leather holster makers have full lines for the SP. From shoulder rigs both vertical and horizontal to traditional holsters to IWB concealment rigs. So do all the big companies. Where are you getting your information?

I haven't even touched the fact that the auto holds 11 while the revolver holds 5.

True enough. But I'd like to see the semi that can fire a range from .38 Special plinkers to 200 grain hardcast magnums. In matters of firearms there is always a tradeoff. You pay a price for the additional capacity. I'm not saying semis are bad, just that the bizarre efforts of certain individuals in this thread to rule out wheelguns are misplaced and based on ignorance.

 

[ugaarguy]

Ok, I bought a used Kel-Tec P-11 this weekend for $190 (before tax, ammo, and spare mag) It's got a decent DAO trigger, is smaller and lighter than the G26 and holds more ammo - I found out over on www.KTOG.org that there is a flush fit 12 rounder for the P-11. It shoots to minute of beer box at 10 paces and there is some muzzle flip, but I like the little booger. Maybe I'm turning into one of those Kel-Tec nuts, but really, where are you gonna get a smaller and lighter 9mm until the PF-9 comes out? Sure you could buy a Rohrbaugh for the price of 4 Kel-Tecs, but why?

 

[DPB]

Here come some more "lame myths" supported by legitimate arguments.

If one lives in the land of $10 .357, thats only double what I pay for 9mm practice ammo. So, if I lived in the land of $10 .357, I'd only be able to practice twice as much with a 9mm, for the same money.

A $10 spring set still doesn't equal a trigger job. Yes, most guns will have a break in period where the trigger improves from use. This is also not the same as a trigger job. There is a reason people make a living as gunsmiths.

Yes, you can order a front night sight or a holster for the SP101. You can walk into a gun store and buy night sights and a holster for a Glock. I said that stuff for the Glock was more readily available, not that the same items didn't exist for the SP101. From the time period when I oned both, I found it much easier to obtain holster's, night sights, and everything else for the Glock. Obtaining anything for the SP101 is much more difficult.

My "nonsense" about leather being hard to find for an SP101 comes from trying to find leather for an SP101. What is in someone's catalog doesn't help. What you can buy off the shelf tomorrow helps.

Saying that a 12 pound revolver trigger pull is easier to manage than a 4.5 pound Glock trigger pull is one opinion. I suspect I'm not the only one that disagrees.

Saying that recoil management with a 25 oz. .357 is no more of an issue than recoil managment with a 23 oz. 9mm is contrary to the laws of physics.

You can throw bigger grips on a gun to reduce felt recoil. Guess what, it makes the gun bigger too. If I'm using L Frame sized grips, I might as well carry an L Frame.

An SP101 can indeed fire a wide variety of loads reliably. How this makes up for only holding 5 rounds is beyond me.

My new favorite line is "You need to learn to shoot your firearm." That would have never occured to me. I need to write that down so I don't forget.

 

[ajax]

Neither get a new .460 S&W and just slide it into your back pocket. SD is really all about over penetration. Sorry I thought it sounded funny when I was thinking about it. Go with the wheel gun and don't look back. Cosmoline I like what your talkin bout those wheel guns. Many people have succefully protected themselves with revolvers and have lived to tell the tale. They were doing it long before glocks and their 4.5 pound triggers and hi cap mags were even a gleem in their inventers eye. Makes you wonder what we did before the god all mighty glock came along. We must've really just been scrapin to get by.

 

[Cosmoline]

DPB--it sounds to me like your complaints should be directed against the stores where you shop rather than against the SP-101.

 

[Zen21Tao]

I like my Glock G29 10mm. I find it the perfect trade off between power and magazine capacity. You get the power of 10mm in a 10+1 capacity subcompact platform.

 

[DPB]

Many people successfully defended themselves with rocks and lived to talk about it before the invention of the "sharp stick." So why don't we all just carry rocks.

Incidentally, a great deal of the time, I carry a revolver, an S&W 642. But I don't kid myself that it's a better defensive tool than a quality automatic. I have decided to deal with it's limitations (minimal sights, low capacity, heavy trigger, small grip) in exchange for the one thing it does well (concealment).

There are hundreds of Glocks sold for every SP101. So it's not just the stores that I shop at. Since there are more Glocks, there is more demand for Glock stuff, so stores carry it, because they are interested in making money. Little thing called economics.

You know what, I've given the information the original poster requested, based on facts and honest experience with both handguns as was appropriate. If you insist on worshipping at the alter of the revolver, good for you, I hope it works out. Far be it from me to try to help you out.

If anyone has any legitimate response to the points I've posed, I'll respond. But I'm done with the "$10 spring set," "you shop the wrong stores," "revolvers came before automatics," foolishness.

doug

 

[Cosmoline]

My worship? Your faith in the evolutionary superiority of the Glock borders on a cult-like religious belief. I'm not here trying to knock Glocks or spread any of the countless myths about them. They're a viable option. My advice is to shoot both, plus as many other options as you can. Then base your choice on which one works best for you. Either is a viable choice, and the customer should not be biased by the nonsense spewed about how Glocks are cheap plastic toys or how nobody really uses wheelguns anymore.

Your advice is apparently to choose the Glock no matter what because the SP is obsolete and you can't find any aftermarket parts for it. That's ERRONEOUS NONSENSE. Indeed, I'm not sure where you get the idea that semis have made revolvers obsolete, like spears replacing rocks. Esp. since you carry one! The SP is as modern as any Glock. It's stainless steel and has its lockwork housed in a single solid state block.

I've already pointed out that yes, you can easily obtain spring kits, night sights, holsters and stocks for the SP-101. You're prooblem is you couldn't find them in whatever store you were looking at. That's a problem with your store. My store--MIDWAY--has them all in stock 24/7.

There are hundreds of Glocks sold for every SP101

Maybe if you add up all the Glocks sold, but that's hardly a fair comparison. You're setting the entire production of an arms maker next to a single product.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

The SP101 is a great gun, but it doesn't offer you any functional advantage in a carry gun over a 26. I have a 642 for pocket carry and a 26 for belt carry. I also use shoot the Glock in a centerfire pistol league because I shoot it more accurately than I do my CZ75B. It is my all-time favorite handgun, but sometimes I can't carry OWB, which is when the 642 comes in.

I also have a Taurus 605C, a J-frame-sized .357. It's a nice gun, surprisingly accurate and handles .357 rounds surprisingly well, but unless my wife starts carrying it I think I will sell it because I really have no use for it. It's too heavy for comfortable pocket carry and if I want to hunt, I'll use my Blackhawk. It is the only real safe queen I have and the only gun I own that I would even consider selling. As much as I admire the SP101, I have a feeling that it would fall into the same functional catagory as the 605C.

 

[DPB]

Arguments against me might be more convincing if they attacked things I've actually said, not what my advice "apparently" is. I worship at the alter of "what works best," not any particular system or tool. The choices given were the G26 and the SP101.

The sharp stick/rock analogy was in reference to the following statement made by Ajax (not by Cosmoline, although he took offense at it):

"Many people have succefully protected themselves with revolvers and have lived to tell the tale. They were doing it long before glocks and their 4.5 pound triggers and hi cap mags were even a gleem in their inventers eye."

I was pointing out that the date of the invetion is not relevant to it's utility, and should not be a factor in deciding which is better. I also do not carry a spear or rock.

I have never said that revolvers are obsolete. I have also not said that "nobody uses wheel guns anymore." Additionally, I have never claimed that the SP101 is not a modern firearm. Cosmoline is right, these statements are ERRONEOUS NONSENSE, which is why I didn't make them.

As a refresher, here's the condensed version of what I have said:

The Glock 26 is a better self defense weapon than the Ruger SP101 because the Glock is lighter, recoils less, holds more rounds, is easier to shoot fast, doesn't require a bigger grip to be controllable, has a lighter trigger, ammunition is less expensive, it's less painful to shoot, and it's easier to get better sights and holsters for.

Cosmoline has stated that Midway has night sights and holsters for the SP101, and he is 100% correct. My counter to that argument is that there are more places, both storefront and online, where one can obtain these parts for the Glock. This is also 100% correct. More sources = More readily available.

He also says that one can learn to manipulate the SP101 quickly with training. This is also true. My counter is that you can learn to manipulate a G26 to an equal level with less training, or to a greater level with the same investment of time and money.

If there are legitimate, objective arguments in favor of the SP101, I would like to hear them. Most of the people in favor of the G26 are saying the same things I'm saying (except the guy who wants to look like Kate Beckinsale in Underworld, that almost made me change my vote to the SP101). Most of the votes for the SP101 are for reasons like "I own one," or "I like revolvers."

 

[WeedWhacker]

Not that I think it will do much good, but I'm buying a G26 to replace a small wheelgun, for carry use, at least.

Capacity and rate of fire were the deciding factors, since both pistols "fit my hand", etc. As it has been pointed out, a 5.5lb trigger with ~12 rounds ready to go beats a 12lb trigger with 5 rounds... no matter how fancy those five rounds are.

Not to say revolvers are not effective; just that semi-autos are, in almost all cases, more effective.

 

[cookekdjr]

If there are legitimate, objective arguments in favor of the SP101, I would like to hear them. Most of the people in favor of the G26 are saying the same things I'm saying (except the guy who wants to look like Kate Beckinsale in Underworld, that almost made me change my vote to the SP101). Most of the votes for the SP101 are for reasons like "I own one," or "I like revolvers."
As I said earlier, I prefer the G26 for most scenarios, primarily for its round capacity. However, its not unreasonable to favor the sp101 based on personal preference. Many folks shoot revolvers better, and the sp101 is very accurate and (IMO) easy to shoot well.
Also, I don't know if you followed the pitbull thread I started above, but often times the common semi-auto calibers (particularly 9mm) do not perform well on four-legged threats. The sp101 can fire a number of .357 loads that can reliably stop animals that the G26 may have trouble with. And, although some people cannot comfortably fire these loads with stock grips, some of us can (never mind the fact that its much easier with aftermarket grips).
Generally speaking, I'd prefer the G26 for everywhere but wilderness carry, but I certainly wouldn't fault someone who favors the sp101 for the added power or b/c they shoot revolvers better than semi-autos.
The 40+% of THR voters who prefer the sp101 have legitimate reasons to favor it over my preference, the G26.
-David

 

[Cosmoline]

If there are legitimate, objective arguments in favor of the SP101

The number one reason is if you prefer to shoot it over the Glock. There are also other considerations. The SP101 is a viable predator defense firearm, can fire out of your pocket and will chamber rounds with far greater hitting power and SD than anything a 9x19 could tolerate. But then again you could always go with a Glock 10mm. It really comes down to PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

The single most important factor, outweighing all others, is how comfortable YOU PERSONALLY ARE with the short gun you carry. I advise strongly against buying the wheelgun because someone tells you its better or buying the semi because they tell you it's vastly superior to the wheelgun. Comfort factors and your willingness and ability to practice early and often with your choice are vastly more important than anything a guru tells you about how hard or easy it is to find leather or how hard the bullets hit or how you're going to need umpteen rounds in some firefight.

This is, after all, a weapon for close range, spur-of-the-moment CCW. If you use it whatever happens is almost certain to be over extremely fast and you're going to have to be totally comfortable with the machine in your hand. You will also need to be accurate in a pinch. To me personally, Glock triggers feel like a sticky sponge and the flexing of the frame in hand is annoying. I also find their ergonomics similar to a brick of slick industrial plastic. I do much better with medium frame revolvers such as SP-101's, Security Sixes and K-Frame magnums. I like some semis, esp. the Sig P225's, but for me they mostly sit at home.

 

[bearmgc]

I do sometimes carry my SP101 3in. as CCW in a Widowmaker holster, bought from Sportsmans Wharehouse off the shelf. My trigger and action work cost $70 from a smith. I use Rem Corelokt HP and Win Silvertips. I do most of my practice with 38s. This pistol is very manageable. My other CCW is a Colt Defender 1911, and a Taurus 85UL, depending on what I'm wearing. Try as many handguns as you can and make the choice.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

That was a really close poll.

I decided on the G26, or maybe a Walther P99C. The Walther has the weird mag release location, expensive magazines and is hard to find leather for, but people that have 'em seem to love them.

I've already got a 5-shot .38 J-frame that can ride OWB or pocket, so I think the pistol will be a good addition.